Autopsy: Missing Man Died of Hypothermia

[Bob_R]

Autopsy: Missing Man Died of Hypothermia
Thu Dec 7, 7:44 PM

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. - Lost in the snowy wilderness and seeking help for his stranded family, James Kim probably traveled more than 10 miles on foot before he died, believing he could find a nearby town, authorities said Thursday.

An autopsy released Thursday showed that he died alone of hypothermia. His body was found in a creek's shallow water, about a mile away from his family's car.

"James Kim did nothing wrong. He was trying to save his family," said Lt. Gregg Hastings of the Oregon State Police said a Thursday news conference. "He thought that if he could get to the river, he could make it to the town."

Kim thought the nearby town of Galice was only 4 miles distant, although it was really 15 miles away, Hastings said.

After scouring the mountains of southern Oregon for days, a search helicopter hired by his family spotted Kim's body midday Wednesday. He was found fully clothed on his back in Big Windy Creek near the Rogue River, authorities said.

Dr. James Olson, a deputy state medical examiner, conducted the autopsy Thursday morning and was unable to determine the exact time of death, Hastings said.

Kim's wife, Kati, and two daughters were rescued Monday when they were spotted by a search helicopter as they were leaving the car to find help themselves. With only baby food and a few snacks in the car, Kati Kim had nursed her two daughters to keep them alive during the ordeal.

Kim, 35, was a senior editor for the technology media company CNET Networks Inc. He and his family had been missing since Nov. 25. They were heading home to San Francisco after a family vacation in the Pacific Northwest, and apparently got stuck in the snow after making a wrong turn.

Hastings said Kati told officers it snowed hard several days while the family was stuck, and the family heard helicopters at least twice.

"Kati and the kids are in good condition as it relates to the ordeal that they've been through," he said.

[FORD]

Sad story. But you would think that a guy who wrote a CNET tech column for a living might have a GPS system.

What's unfortunate is that the family just happened to be driving through Oregon at a time when most of the state was covered in snow. All the highways had snow on them. I know this to be true, because I was scouting road conditions on behalf of my elderly parents who chose to go on the road at about the same time. In their fucking RV, no less.

And don't think I got a lot of sleep THAT night. Fortunately, they had better luck than the Kim family.

Logic says that taking 101 down the coast is going to be a safer bet than driving over the Siskiyou mountain pass, which is what I advised my parents. That's probably what James Kim was trying to do, since San Francisco was their destination anyway. They just took the wrong road to get there.

Any other week, it might have ended up a silly mistake that added a couple hours to their trip, but in this case the results were tragically different.

[Axxman300]

GPS wouldn't have told him that the road he was on is impassable durring the winter. That seems to be something that only the locals know about.

That's the thing about the Pacific Northwest, there are all kinds of logging and seasonal roads that are everywhere in the mountains. I'm Mr. Land Navigation myself and I find North California and Oregon a crazy place to get around once you get off of the main highway.

Anyway, the guy was cool. My heart goes out to his family.

Really sad.

[FORD]

GPS wouldn't have told him that the road he was on is impassable durring the winter.

No, but it would have kept him from walking in a circle. That's why he never made it into the town that he thought was only 3 or 4 miles away. In reality it was closer to 10, but even then, he probably would have made it within a day or two.

There are all sorts of roads going over the coastal range in Oregon, but even the best highways were probably pretty well snowed in that week.

A lot of people in other parts of the country who saw the footage of this green wooded area on TV yesterday don't get the fact that this might has well been the fucking North Pole at the time James Kim started walking. And probably even so by the time he breathed his last.

[willy4pres]

This is a terrible story. I wish he would have just stayed with the vehicle like he's supposed to. But who knows what was going on at the time he decided to try and find help, it must have been a tough call.

I was just thinking about the wife, she must have thought that her husband found help and had that helo sent to rescue her and the kids. It must have been completely devastating to later find out they didn't know where the husband was. The dude made it 10 miles in near freezing conditions, it's terrible how it turned out but that is pretty bad ass. He literaly walked himself to death trying to save his family.

[voivod]

I've traveled at night and got lost, but WTF! If you hit dirt road you are in nowhere-land, suck it up and turn the fuck around...It's not worth risk your family's well being over...

MERLIN, Oregon (CNN) -- We came to Oregon to retrace the path James Kim and his family took the day they got stranded in the Rogue River wilderness.

When we finally reached the spot where the Kims' car stopped after a long, winding journey, our traveling companions -- Sgt. Joel Heller, Josephine County Sheriff's office, and John James, owner of the Black Bar Lodge -- both had the same exact thought: Why did the Kims continue down such a desolate path when they so clearly did not know where they were going?

Though it is heart wrenching to question the decisions made by a man who died trying to save his family, it is hard not to wonder.

Three times, we passed large yellow signs warning that snow may completely block the roadway.

Eventually, we came to a fork in the road where a tiny sign -- almost invisible unless you actually stop the car and focus on it -- pointed the way to the Oregon Coast. The sign pointed left. The Kims drove right.

This was obviously the wrong direction. It was one lane, no guardrail, no markings, no "winding road ahead" signs, no speed limit signs, no nothing.

During our daylight journey, the road was so hazardous, so covered with snow and ice that a CNN satellite truck operator refused to continue, fearing the truck could go over the side.

The pavement began to break up, then turn to gravel, and finally to dirt.

This was an old logging road used only in summer by lodge owners hauling supplies. In winter, it was not generally in use.

In fact, beginning November 1 a gate usually blocked the road. Somebody must have broken the lock and left the gate open. Had it been shut and locked, the Kims could not have gone down the road at all.

But they did. Twenty miles down that desolate road, James and Kati Kim and their two young daughters found themselves stranded in the snowy wilderness.

By the time we came to the spot they stopped, our four-wheel-drive vehicle was being battered on both sides by overhanging branches and bushes.

This is where the Kims stayed for nine days, and the spot from which James Kim set off on foot on a journey into the Oregon wilderness that resulted in his death.

[muffdiver]

What was the temp. there again.....Man, seems kinda mild, by what the news said, but maybe I'm more used to it.....






And not to make light of this subject either, but come on....Was he from Cali or something...

[willy4pres]

I think it was in the mid to low 30's. After humping it 16 miles through snow in 35 degree weather ANYBODY would be dead. Also, for those that have "hiked/force marched" in the extreme cold for extended periods of time without rest you already know how hard it becomes to process thoughts correctly. I did about 12 miles with constant breaks up in Bridgeport California back in the early 90's during Cold Weather Training. My brain kept trying to get me to stop so that I could just die on the side of the road, im not kidding. And I actually did pretty good compared to some of the other guys, I have a small idea what Batan was like (not the heat and beheading portion though). During MCT in San Diego we did 22 miles at a REALLY hard pace, I didn't think it could get any worse then that. I was very wrong.

[muffdiver]

But ,yeah...in Cali....you live in Ariz....
I ain't a marine , but in the cold experience counts for a lot.....none of which he had.....

I've been in colder weather naked,.......He had no inkling how to survive.....
Not trying to sound cruel either, sorry if i do,.....but c'mon he didn't even make a shelter..... Seems like he hiked and hiked...

not trying to make anyone angry, btw.....

[muffdiver]

I think it was in the mid to low 30's. After humping it 16 miles through snow in 35 degree weather ANYBODY would be dead. Also, for those that have "hiked/force marched" in the extreme cold for extended periods of time without rest you already know how hard it becomes to process thoughts correctly. I did about 12 miles with constant breaks up in Bridgeport California back in the early 90's during Cold Weather Training. My brain kept trying to get me to stop so that I could just die on the side of the road, im not kidding. And I actually did pretty good compared to some of the other guys, I have a small idea what Batan was like (not the heat and beheading portion though). During MCT in San Diego we did 22 miles at a REALLY hard pace, I didn't think it could get any worse then that. I was very wrong.

Well , you guys should train in harsher conditions maybe, not to offend...
But , it's seems real warm where you are talkin'

[willy4pres]

Wow, are you chasing me around muff?

If you could do what that dude did and still survive then your name starts with Superman. It doesn't matter where you live or how big of a fuck'n dumbass YOU are, do what that dude did and your dead.

If you don't believe me grab a video camera and run out into the woods, walk for 16 miles without rest until your dead. Once that happens ill call you and tell you I told you so.

Also, im from St. Louis, it get's REAL cold there.

[muffdiver]

I could walk 16 miles no prob, little soldier....
You should take your pill now.....

[willy4pres]

Is that a picture of your mom preparing for a "money shot" back when she was still in the business?

[ZeoBandit]

This is a really sad story. I feel so sorry for the family.

[Axxman300]

The problem is that the guy was from California and a city guy. Our idea of the "Mountains" is maybe driving to Tahoe or Mammoth, so when we get into REAL mountains we get into trouble fast if road conditions turn to shit. Those of us who live on the coast don't have logging roads or seasonal roads (not many, we have them in Monterey County and Santa Cruz county but those roads are closed by water) so we haven't got a clue about them or what to do.

I know exactly what James Kim was thinking, any real man who's done the raod trip thing does. He had a MAP, and by God, if the map says this is the way to go then this is the way we're going! The problem is that a road map does a poor job of showing you the landscape. There ARE notes written in faint micorscopic writing that I've learned to pay attention to but only after driving around like an idiot in gold country for five hours.

I don't have time but I'll come back and tell you guys my "Fun with Hypothermia" stories.

Oh, and just so you people who've never been to California understand, we have deserts (plural and BIG), we have two mountain ranges, many national forrests, volcanoes, lakes and rivers. You can swim in the ocean in the morning and then drive a little and go for an evening ski.

It does snow in our mountains, ask the Donner Party.

Here's the link to the USMC Mountian Warfare School:

http://www.mwtc.usmc.mil/

It even has pictures of jarheads in the snow for stupid people.